Back To School 101: A Primer For A Child’s Special Educational Needs
August is a time for children to savor the final days of summer vacation before school begins again. For their parents, it may be a time for buying their children new clothes, school supplies and getting them haircuts (often against their wishes). However, for parents of children with special educational needs, there may be other concerns. It is perhaps getting a little late to consider these issues but better late than never. As parents, it is your responsibility to make sure everything is in place to ensure that your child is happy and successful in the coming school year.
If you have never before asked the school to provide accommodations for your child, you need to find out your school’s procedure as soon as possible. Requesting accommodations may involve having your child tested to validate your request. Schools will provide accommodations only if they are substantiated by medical and/or educational professionals. There are two main types of accommodation plans- IEP’s and 504’s. In consultation with your pediatrician and psycho educational consultant, you need to determine which will meet the needs of your child. Keep in mind, that any educational plan is a legal document which the school and the teachers are obligated to follow once they sign off on it. While you child needs to become his/her own advocate as they mature, they will still need you to serve as their primary advocate with their school. Often you can do this on your own, but there may be times when the assistance of your psycho educational professional or even a disability needs attorney may be required. In addition, there may be other issues which need to be addressed, such as the need for medication. These should be investigated before the school year begins as well.
If your child already has an accommodation or a special education plan, you should review it to determine if it needs to be changed in any way. Often schools will require a meeting at the beginning of the school year to discuss the plan and to inform the teachers of its content. If your child is moving on to middle or high school, these meetings are extremely important. Your child will now have many teachers who will only be teaching your child for a few hours per week. These teachers may have 150 students so that it is imperative your child and his/her needs stand out from the crowd. Sometimes, parents make the decision to transfer their child to a private school for middle and high school where the smaller student population and more personal relationship between students and teachers result in a more beneficial environment for the child. These are all extremely individual decisions based on the needs of your child and your particular school. If your child has a guidance counselor, she/he can often be an effective day to day advocate even in a large public school.
Aside from academic concerns, many parents often need to address their child’s emotional needs. Did he or she have a rough time last year? Was he or she teased, shunned or even bullied by some classmates. Perhaps you need to be proactive and have someone talk to teachers and classmates at the beginning of the year. This can be approached in many ways, from a teacher in-service presentation by a qualified consultant to a classroom session educating students about Tourettes. In addition, you may also want to evaluate your child’s emotional health. Is medication or therapy warranted? Your pediatrician will be able to help you and your child with many of your needs and, if necessary, can recommend qualified specialists for further help.
For many children, the anticipation of starting a new school year can be either exciting or nerve racking or both. For a child with educational, medical or emotional concerns, it can be especially anxiety producing. Only you know if your child will benefit from a direct discussion about their concerns or if just your continuing encouragement will be enough to allay their apprehension.
As parents, you may have already experienced some of these issues in past years and have all your ducks in a row. Or you may be a novice and have never been faced with some of these challenges and do not know where to start. Time is of the essence. Contact the school, your physician, your psychologist. Most importantly, educate yourself to know what your child’s rights are. Do not necessarily accept what the school or any specialist tells you is the absolute, undeniable, irrevocable, scientific, legal truth. If you need help in navigating all of this, contact TSAGW. We can help.
Gary Bergman, M.D., F.A.A.P
